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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
Each Sunday there is an acclamation to welcome the Gospel. This Sunday’s acclamation is:
Shine on the world like bright stars; you are offering it the word of life.
This acclamation – which is also called the Alleluia Verse – encourages us to consider what message we might take from the gospel itself. It gives us a context for how we might hear the word of the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the pharisees to give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar - and to God what belongs to God. For each of us there is an obligation to give to God and to reflect to the world, the light of God’s message. In our decisions and actions, we are constantly reminded to be the light of the world to others and this can be done by reflecting the light of Christ. This is one simple way that we might offer the word of life to others and give back to God what belongs to God.
Tonight, the College Leadership Team will be travelling to St Joseph’s College at Hunters Hill for the annual Marist Schools (MSA) Mass and Dinner. At this dinner, schools are given the opportunity to nominate staff who have reached milestones or have made an especially valuable contribution to Marist education. Earlier this year we nominated Mrs Clare Murphy and Mrs Christine Meharg for recognition. MSA have accepted both nominations and Mrs Meharg and Mrs Murphy will be recognised at this dinner. I congratulate both staff on the nomination and on the extensive and invaluable contributions that they have made to our community.
Yesterday, Mr Huntly, Mrs Meharg and I met with Dr John Robinson (NSW Regional Director of Marist Schools Australia - MSA). We spent time discussing our relationship with MSA and the opportunities we have engaged in over 2023. Dr Robinson outlined the further opportunities for Mount Carmel in 2024 and how we might continue to build on our charism. We are proud of our Marist links and will continue to work with MSA to provide opportunities for excellence for our students.
During the holidays we received delivery of our new Solar bin. This was generously paid for by the P&F and has been purchased to try to reduce the amount of rubbish around the ovals. Over the past few years, we have had a significant problem with the wind and animals in the bins. The solar bin will compact the equivalent of 5 bins before it requires emptying. Thank you to the P&F for this support and we will evaluate its benefit over the coming months.Earlier this year, I notified parents through the newsletter that we will have two Pupil Free Staff Development Days this term. This is a result of agreements around the implementation of new syllabuses. Please note as previously notified that these SDD Pupil Free Days are on Friday November 10 and Monday November 13.
“Ite in Veritate
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Whilst this time of the year is often associated with completing the necessary coursework for another year of learning and preparing students for final assessments and reporting, staff are also heavily involved in evaluating current programs of work and preparing for the following year. Part of this process involves refining our school annual goals, which are an important part of our annual improvement agenda. Our aims are to look at ways to achieve improvement in the areas of Faith, Learning and Wellbeing for all students. These goals are aligned with key materials from NESA, the School Improvement Tool and also important Diocesan documents, specifically Bishop Brian’s Mandate and Lighting the Way 2023+. The coming weeks will see a series of planning days for various teams, commencing next week with our Year Coordinator and Key Learning Area Coordinator teams, as we embark on our latest version of continuous school improvement. Ms Toogood and I were fortunate to attend a conference earlier this week titled “Pathways of Hope”, which allowed us to learn about the initiatives that Catholic Schools from all over Australia are using to achieve similar objectives. It is comforting to know that as part of the Diocese of Wollongong and the broader umbrella of Catholic Education across the country that Mount Carmel is tracking in the right direction regarding this ongoing process.Long term planning aside, our learning community continues to provide support for students to excel in the areas of faith, learning and wellbeing on a daily and weekly basis. Next week will see our Year 11 Work Studies class engage in a presentation relating specifically to Careers Planning, our Year 11 Youth Ministry Leaders will take part in a Leaders Training day on Wednesday, selected staff will be involved in Professional Learning around Artificial Intelligence in Education and Year 11 Reports will be released next Friday. Next Friday will also see students gather in House Assemblies, with a particular focus on Avila House as they celebrate a Liturgy and conduct fundraising activities to recognise their patron, St. Theresa of Avila. Yesterday and today our Years 7-10 cohorts were engaged in Year Assemblies that addressed a number of learning and wellbeing issues and Year 12 continued with their journey through their final examinations.
Thanks to all staff involved in the preparation, presentation and supervision of these events, for their continued work on improving student faith, learning and wellbeing outcomes for students and to students and carers for your continued support of all that we do at Mount Carmel.
Mr Simon Huntly
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TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A Mass of day with Lectionary and Missal texts of Sunday Ord Time 29 Yr A |
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| First Reading | Isaiah 45:4-6 |
I am the Lord, there is no other. |
| Second Reading | 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 |
Paul greets the Thessalonians. |
| Gospel |
Matthew 22:15-21 |
Parable of the Wedding Banquet. |
Which Caesar was in power at the time- Nero was in power when Paul died?
Have you ever wondered where the Thessalonians lived?
Catechist Training 2024
On Wednesday 18 October, 20 students from Year 9 engaged in a catechist training session hosted by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, the Office of the Bishop, Wollongong.
The event started with explanations of safety protocols and lesson management by experienced catechists before recess. Afterwards, we put our knowledge into practice by diverging into groups and crafting mock lesson plans using the extensive curriculums provided by the organisation. Their faith enrichment was multimodal, and entailed both slideshow explanation and Q&A.
- Q&A (End of event)
- Mock lesson plan (using curriculums)
- Safety stuff - child protection
- Understanding what it means to be a student catechist
- Faith formation (enrichment)
- Extremely popular (3x the amount)
Becoming a Catechist provides us with an opportunity to widen our faith about God and interact with younger children and pass on our knowledge to them. Since the last time the catechist program was run, our numbers have tripled allowing a wider opportunity for younger kids to gain extra support to learn about the Christian faith.
We are looking forward to being catechists in our local primary schools next year.
By Patrick Arthur, 9 Avila1 and Emma Russel 9 Mackillop 2
Year 11 Academic Reports
Year 11 will receive their Academic Reports via Compass on Friday 27 October. At the next College assembly we will celebrate the academic, sporting and cultural achievements of Year 11.
HSC 2024 Commencement 30 October
Information regarding the commencement of the 2024 HSC will be presented in the Champagnat Centre on the evening of Monday October 30 at 7:00pm. The purpose of this evening is to provide students and their parents with information on the structure of the HSC, Assessment Policies and Procedures, NESA requirements, the use of technology and as well as strategies for HSC success. Students are expected to attend in their College uniform with a parent/guardian.
2023 HSC Examinations
The HSC Examinations commenced this week with the English and Music examinations. Next weeks exams are:
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HSC 2023 Week 3 |
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DATE |
EXAM |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Monday 23 Oct
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Biology |
Champagnat Centre |
9:25AM - 12:30PM |
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Spanish Continuers |
ILC |
2:00PM - 5:00PM |
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DATE |
EXAM |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Tuesday 24 Oct
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Business Studies |
Champagnat Centre |
9:25AM - 12:30PM |
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| English Extension |
ILC |
1:50PM - 4:00PM |
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DATE |
EXAM |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Wednesday 25 Oct |
History Extension |
Champagnat Centre |
1:50PM - 4:00PM |
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Construction |
Champagnat Centre |
1:55PM - 4:00PM |
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Spanish Beginners |
ILC |
2:00PM - 4:00PM |
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DATE |
EXAM |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Thursday 26 Oct
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Studies of Religion I |
Champagnat Centre |
09:25AM - 11:00AM |
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Studies of Religion II |
Champagnat Centre |
9:25AM - 12:30PM |
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Hospitality Food & Beverage |
Champagnat Centre |
1:55PM - 4:00PM |
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DATE |
EXAM |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Friday 27 Oct |
Chemistry |
Champagnat Centre |
09:25AM - 12:30PM |
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Industrial Technology- Timber and Furniture Technologies |
Champagnat Centre |
1:55PM - 3:30PM |
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Students are reminded that they are expected to be at the College 30 mins prior to the commencement time of each examination.
The College wishes Yr 12 students all the best in their HSC exams.
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TERM 4 |
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Week 3 |
Year 10 23/10/2023: Commerce 26/10/2023: IST Year 7 Science Catholic Studies |
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Week 4 |
Year 10 30/10/2023: Mathematics & ITT 31/10/2023: Catholic Studies & Music 2/11/2023: Visual Arts & Drama Year 9 Music ITT Visual Arts |
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Week 5 |
Year 9 Geography Catholic Studies Year 8 Catholic Studies Year 7 Geography Music |
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| Week 6
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Year 9 Mathematics Year 8 Visual Arts |
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Ms Chardy Miller & Ms Rebecca Toogood
Leader of Learning - Curriculum Pedagogy & Leader of Learning - Acting Curriculum Administration
Term 4 is always bustling with activity and pastoral initiatives. Our Year 12 students started their Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations. This is a significant milestone in their educational journey, and we encourage our community to offer them your support and encouragement during this critical period. We continue to keep our Year 12 students in our daily prayers.
As of the start of Week 3 in Term 4, our Year 11 students will officially transition to the HSC course. This is a crucial step in their academic path, and we are confident that they will excel in their chosen subjects. We ask parents to engage in open communication with their Year 11 students regarding academic goals and study routines. The Year 11 students will also embark on their Senior Retreat in just over a week's time, offering them a chance for self-reflection, bonding, and growth. This experience is an essential part of their journey towards becoming future leaders and graduates of Mount Carmel Catholic College. We look forward to the positive impact it will have on their personal development.
For our Year 10 students, this term is all about preparing for their final assessments and the completion of the Year 10 Record of School Achievement (RoSA). These assessments are significant and will help them transition smoothly into their senior years or their selected pathway after the completion of Year 10. We encourage Year 10 parents to continue to work closely with their children and the College to ensure a successful conclusion to this academic chapter.
Year 9 students have begun the selection process for the 2024 House Captains. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to take on leadership roles and contribute to the College community. In the coming weeks the Year 9 cohort will participate in the Gender Agenda Day and YAM Program. These initiatives promote inclusivity, respect, and understanding. We appreciate your support in reinforcing these values at home and in your conversations with your children.
Our Year 7 and 8 students will continue their work on Respectful Relationships throughout Term 4. This crucial program helps instil values of empathy, respect, and healthy communication in our students, providing them with essential life skills.
As we navigate through this busy term, please do not hesitate to contact the College or the appropriate Classroom Teacher, Pastoral Advisor or Year Coordinator should you have any questions or require any assistance with matters relating to the wellbeing or learning of your son or daughter. We look forward to a productive and successful Term 4 and hope that together, we can help your child thrive and grow during this exciting time.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Theresa Moore
Acting Pastoral Care & Wellbeing Coordinator.
Upcoming Parent Webinars
How you Can Help your Child Manage their Time
Wednesday 25 October @ 6.30pm(AEDT)
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school.
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It is so good to be back. A significant teacher shortage in the English faculty this year – particularly in Term 3 – necessitated the teaching of additional classes and the setting and marking of multiple cohorts’ work. Given the opportunity that this situation afforded – taking a range of classes from Year 7 through to Year 11 – it is useful now to revisit the very critical aspects of Mount Carmel’s literacy landscape. Literacy is essentially about meaning making. It involves the ability to read, write, speak, listen, and view for different purposes in a range of contexts. Students become literate as they develop the knowledge and skills to use and understand language confidently and competently. Literacy is fundamental to a student’s ability to learn at school and to engage productively in society. Whilst not a subject in its own right, literacy is central to all areas of learning.
Reading and writing are the two most vital parts of the literacy picture. These two processes are exceptionally important and powerfully interrelated. Reading has the capacity to initiate writing, and writing has the capacity to promote deep and close reading. The American poet Charles Bernstein asserts ‘To create good writers you need to create good readers. There is no shortcut’. Stephen King’s advice put simply is ‘to read a lot and write a lot’. When writer Paul Auster was asked what inspired him at school, he listed American writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and J.D. Salinger. He then moved on to Russian writers such as Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the French-Algerian writer, Albert Camus. Finally, he mentioned the Irish writer James Joyce who, when Auster was eighteen, ‘towered over everyone else for me.’ For Auster, ‘books are a world unto themselves – and that world is richer and more interesting than any one we’ve travelled in before.’
In my reading of academic material on literacy, I have encountered the term ‘wreading’. This concept has developed as a way of envisaging and enacting a mutual relationship between reading and writing as supported by writers such as Auster, King, and Bernstein. The underpinning principle here is to get students to interact with existing texts in productive and creative ways in order to create new ones. In every English classroom, teachers are seeking to create a culture within which students can learn to read like writers, and equally, to write like readers. My experience teaching the different classes over the past three terms has shown how necessary and exciting it is to create responsive, literate communities of young people.
Clare Murphy
English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach
A final busy week of Diocesan sport with Mount Carmel continuing its sporting momentum with basketball and AFL events. The efforts of our teams in these events were met with some success, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our students. With the end of Diocesan sport for 2023 the sport calendar starts to slow down as we enter a planning phase for next year. We also had round one of MISA played this week with Mount Carmel's teams coming up with some impressive performances. All results and reports can be found below.
Joshua represented Mount Carmel at the NSW All Schools Athletics carnival which occurred between the 23 and 25 of September. Josh performed really well in his event and finished 35th in the state in the 100m sprint. Well done Josh!
Mount Carmel Basketball teams entered the Diocesan Basketball championships held in Wollongong for girls and Minto for boys. All four of our teams were super competitive on the day and we narrowly missed out on bringing home trophies for a couple of our teams. The feedback from our four coaches is all students represented the college with pride and we thank them for their efforts.
Senior Boys - 4th Overall
Senior Girls - 6th Overall
Junior Boys - 2nd Overall
Junior Girls - 9th Overall
MISA - Teams Term 4
| Sport | Result | MVP | Short Report |
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Indoor Cricket 7-9 Boys Mr Berkeley |
VS MAG Loss 41 - 11 |
Jivesh Puri |
After winning the coin toss, it was a positive start to the match. There was plenty of solid bowling and we managed to contain many runs. When it came to batting, the boys had a solid attempt but with Magdalene being too good, the boys struggled to get into the match. A few airswings exposed the stumps to concede a few runs which made it tough to come back from. Overall, the boys completed the match with plenty of positive things and a few areas to focus on for next week. |
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Softball 7-9 Girls Mr Withnall |
VS STP Loss 10 - 1 |
Emily Skipper Umpires MVP - Lovinia Camasosa |
The long walk to the diamond in miserable conditions did nothing to spur confidence in our girls as we approached a strong St Patrick's side warming up. Our first batting innings saw Chelsea Sirec cop a blow to the ribs and some great first attempts at facing a decent pitcher. It was our fielding that really showed how much we had taken in with some smart plays keeping the ball in control but unfortunately it was to no avail. Some excellent batting in the second innings from Jaimee and Emily saw us score with most of the girls finding confidence in getting connection with bat on ball. Emily then showed us she wasn't afraid of her new position at 1st base with an excellent catch and brilliant fielding. The umpire even commended Lovinia on her willingness to put her body on the line at 3rd base, even giving a few pointers for next time. Despite the loss, we walk away feeling a growing sense of camaraderie and MCCC spirit. |
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Oz Tag 7-9 Boys Mr King |
VS MAG Loss 6-2 |
Paul Mikaele |
The boys found themselves down 3 nil in the space of ten minutes which was far from the perfect start we had hoped for leading into the season. They did manage to reduce the deficit scoring two tries thanks to some creative play by Jacob Latu and Jeremiah Leota-Brown, however, Magdalene were too strong first up, securing a 6-2 win. Despite the loss, the best on field was Paul Mikaele with some great attacking raids and creative plays. It was our poor defending that hurt us today and this will certainly be an area we will need to work on before playing in round two. See you all at training on Tuesday morning gents! |
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Oz Tag 7-9 Girls Ms Heath |
VS MAG Loss 11- 0 |
Lara Underwood |
The girls found themselves up against a strong Magdalene team to start off the competition. Lara Underwood, showed some impressive plays and movements but was unable to break down the defence of Magdalene. Unfortunately the girls were unable to come back from the fast pace game play of Magdalene, being defeated 11 - 0. A lot of work to be done. Onto next week. |
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Ultimate Frisbee 10-11 Mixed Mr Martin |
VS BAC Win 14 - 5 |
Isabella Ashcroft |
We started off the game slowly, only 3-all at half time but the effort was there. Sienna Wagstaff even knocked over the tallest boy in their team to win the disc. In the second half MCCC kicked into gear with Isaac Ramos (C) and Isabella Ashcroft (C) making some excellent connections in attack to secure a comfortable lead. Mia Aiono and Brody Taateo showed great enthusiasm in defence. We’ll look to improve on our start next week and our completion rate for passes. Congratulations team, great first game. |
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AFL 7-9 Girls Ms Abra |
VS MAS Win 18-2 |
Makeilah Langi |
A great start to the season coming away with a win against Macarthur Anglican. We only had seven players and two players from MAC played with our girls. With MAC having an inexperienced side it was a blessing that this was our week with limited numbers. Miyah Meurant had a great game using her AFL experience to guide the team. Congratulations goes to Makeilah Langi, our MVP. Her defence, attack and aggression are always unstoppable. Next week we have a bye and we look forward to meeting MAG in week three. |
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AFL 7-9 Boys Mr Kawa |
VS MAS Win 17-1 |
Isaac Robinson |
The boys played really well today in the windy conditions, they decided to step up the gameplay and take it to Macarthur Anglican. In the first half the boys spent most of the game in the opposition final third putting them under pressure to play out of their own half. In the second half the boys were put under a little bit more pressure, but they showed resilience and put through a few more goals to finish the game. congratulations to all the boys in particular Issak Robinson, which showed great composure and skill throughout the park. |
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Volleyball 10-11 Girls Ms Hobbs |
VS STP Win 2-1 |
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In a challenging first match held on the outside grass court, the senior girls' volleyball team battled not only their opponents but also the difficult weather conditions. Despite the drizzling of rain and the strong gusts of winds, spirits were high after securing a victory in the first round. Although a few unfortunate mistakes were made which led to a loss in the second round, our team fought back and secured the overall win. The senior girls' volleyball team showed remarkable teamwork, resilience and skill during our first match and are determined to continue the winning streak. |
Again a very busy term for sport with a lot of events occurring throughout the term. As always, students are encouraged to sign up and trial for representative teams. Below you will find registration links for both our DIO and NSWCCC events. If you require any further information please visit the Diocese of Wollongong sports here.
Registrations are Now Open for 2023
Please refer to attached 2023_Registration.pdf
Representative Pathways
| MISA Website | https:/wwwwmisaonlineeorgg.au/ |
| Diocesan Sport News | Updates and news on Wollongong Diocese sport events and trials can be viewed here |
| NSW CCC/CSNSW Sport News | Higher level CCC trials and events status can be monitored here. |
| School Sport Australia Sport News | More School Sport Australia information can be found here |
New Bus Operator
From Sunday, 8 October 2023, the bus services provider currently operating as Busabout and Interline will change their name to Transit Systems NSW SW Pty Ltd.
There will be no change for students with an existing SSTS School Opal card. Transport for NSW will update these student entitlements to be listed under the new operator, Transit Systems NSW SW Pty Ltd.
For new SSTS School Opal card applications, students, parents or guardians will need to nominate Transit Systems NSW SW Pty Ltd as their bus operator.
If you have any questions or concerns, please submit your enquiry via transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/fares-concessions-tickets-feedback
School Student Travel 2024
2024 school travel applications are now open. Please click here for information from Transport for NSW.